'Magical girl' is a genre I haven't indulged in very much, so practically speaking Puella Magi Madoka Magica was a first look into an unfamiliar tradition. Lack of familiarity, however, engenders a neutral viewing experience, where the job of an anime critic becomes almost pure analysis through virgin eyes. Of course, comparing Madoka to something is inevitable, but without a thorough understanding of shows in a similar vein, any comparisons I draw risk being poor ones. Here's what I know for certain: Madoka Magica became an instant classic, receiving universal acclaim for its innovations as both an original anime work and an unparalleled contribution to the magical girl genre. Calling it a 'magical girl' anime, in fact, calls into question what it means to be a part of the genre.
Source: Crunchyroll. Copyright Shaft, Aniplex.
We begin with a dream sequence, where Madoka observes a magical girl battling an entity that threatens to destroy the city. Madoka is approached by Kyubey, a cat-like creature who claims that Madoka can end the fighting and change the future if she makes a contract with him and becomes a magical girl; Madoka wakes before making a decision. She heads to school and spends time with her friend Sayaka as usual, but the show rapidly morphs from slice-of-life to ominous fantasy when Kyubey appears in real life, asserting that magical girls truly exist. They are engaged in a war against witches, and Madoka, should she accept Kyubey's offer, can be the most powerful magical girl of all.
An atmosphere of oppressive anxiety looms in every episode. Kyubey, despite his freakishly cute appearance, immediately comes off as a con-man offering a gift too good to be true. The story is apprehensive about revealing too much of his origins and purpose; this is an excellent move, as the pacing of his plot revelations is always spot-on, raising the stakes of the magical girl game in proportion to the level of emotional turmoil our characters experience. Madoka largely remains on the sidelines, biding her time before refusing or accepting Kyubey's offer. She observes as her friends frantically hunt witches to obtain Grief Seeds, which relieves magical girls of pent-up negative energy that obstructs the use of their powers. The urgent need for seeds and their revitalizing qualities plunges the girls into chaos, a brilliant irony that contrasts Kyubey's ultimate goal – to end universal entropy by using energy radiated from magical girls. The story nearly becomes too farfetched for our school girl cast to handle, but the changes are gradual and therefore easier to accept with each passing episode.
Source: Crunchyroll. Copyright Shaft, Aniplex.
Madoka's intricate plot is accompanied by equally complex animation: 'surreal' is a great word to use here. The engrossing amount of art styles used during the witch battles is marvelous, and most of the landscapes are twisted beyond recognition, as if viewed from a fun-house mirror. In one particular sequence of episode ten, Homura unwittingly wanders into a witch's field of influence, and the floor displays impressions of Pablo Picasso's famous “Guernica” painting. The skies color into a sea of red, with swirling yellow clouds reminiscent of Van Gogh's “Starry Night,” or Edvard Munch's “The Scream.” Witches emerge from a Roman arch that crawls out of the ground.
Source: Crunchyroll. Copyright Shaft, Aniplex.
Source: Crunchyroll. Copyright Shaft, Aniplex.
Another anime that comes to mind is Le Portrait de Petit Cossette, a horror production by Daume, where warped dreamscapes are a mainstay. Artistic influences from the likes of Salvador Dali and Max Ernst are demonstrated through floating clocks and gears, and derelict buildings that litter the show on multiple occasions. Madoka uses those influences and more, also harkening to M.C. Escher's penchant for labyrinthine worlds and optical illusions (checkerboard floors, tessellations). The effect is an environment much like what you might find in a children's book, full of contextually rich content, simplified into an Alice in Wonderland spectacle to appeal to younger minds.
The anime's opening sequence is a humorous reminder of Madoka's 'magical girl' origins; it scathingly mocks the traditional genre tropes. Madoka is seen prancing about in a pink costume, enjoying time with family and friends. The lyrics to “Connect,” the OP by ClariS, ring true of every other generic opening theme, praising bravery in the face of adversity, and seeking the courage to forge your own future. It takes a bit of sleuthing to recognize Kyubey among the cheery pop music and vivid colors, blending in as if he were the most benign character in the show. In light of the miasma that pervades the series, to think that the producers aren't satirizing magical girl tropes is a crime.
Source: Crunchyroll. Copyright Shaft, Aniplex.
Madoka uniquely attempts to skew reality through a child's eyes. The art historical references in the show, which require significant knowledge to identify, are juxtaposed to seem like unintelligible night terrors. The biting sarcasm behind traditional depictions of 'magical girl' (and most shojo) anime is shown through dolling up and infantilizing our characters, as if the target audience is girls ages 7 through 14. The witches these girls face resemble pop-up book creatures, or scrap paper collages designed by children's book illustrator Eric Carle. If Madoka creates a world closer to the experience of children, it does so through ensuring that the villains and obstacles are parallel to the phantasmagorical fears most children might have.
The decision to replace the levity of magical girl shows with gripping drama and 'realness' coincides with the goals and trends noitaminA has recently fostered in the anime business: creation of original anime works that appeal to wider demographics. Madoka's innovations starkly contrast magical girl tropes that have been hopelessly commercialized and outdated for some time, and which pander to those who enjoy watching adorable teenagers save the world with magical wands, incantations and transformation sequences. Puella Magi Madoka Magica bravely stares down other magical girl shows and mocks, “You want to see 'cute'? I'll show you 'cute'.”
- Elijah
- Elijah
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